Isabelle et Stéphane Bernaudeau

Stéphane Bernaudeau worked for some 15 years alongside Mark Angeli at the Ferme de la Sansonnière, one of the pioneers of natural wine in Anjou, and made his first wine of his own in 2000. His dry Chenins from tiny old vine parcels are now among the most sought after natural wines of the Loire.

He farms about three hectares in the Layon biodynamically, worked entirely by horse, with many vines trained as bush vines. Les Nourrissons comes from about 0.7 hectares planted in 1910 on schist and clay limestone, Les Onglés from a southwest facing schist hillside, and Les Terres Blanches from vines more than 80 years old. The wines ferment spontaneously in old barrels and foudres, mature as long as they need, and are bottled unfined and unfiltered as Vin de France.